Conservatives Are Angry Because They Have No Idea What They Wanthttp://www.businessinsider.com/conservatives-are-angry-because-they-have-no-idea-what-they-want-2013-10/comments
en-usWed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:57:03 -0500Josh Barrohttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524eceddeab8ead3448b1681KansasaFri, 04 Oct 2013 10:21:17 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524eceddeab8ead3448b1681
Liberals love to say how much conservatives love SS and Medicare. As far as I and any friend of mine is concerned SS is a nonissue--no one I know is going to rely on that. We've all saved for our retirements, or worked hard to get good jobs with good retirement benefits. Medicare is something they force you into. Again, we worked hard and long to get jobs that had retirement medical or have HSAs. That's why we aren't stupid fing liberals who are irresponsible.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524ecd04eab8ea663b8b168bKansasaFri, 04 Oct 2013 10:13:24 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524ecd04eab8ea663b8b168b
You are a genius.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524e75c3ecad042a6e8b4576Robert WaldmannFri, 04 Oct 2013 04:01:07 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524e75c3ecad042a6e8b4576
This is a brilliant post. I think I might have something of marginal value to add, although I don't know many conservatives. I think it is very important to distinguish well informed policy makers and commentators and such from poorly informed policy makers and commentators and the very poorly informed general public. I think the very serious problem for well informed conservatives is both that the conservative base wants them to achieve the arithmetically impossible -- to increase or at least not cut spending on defence, medicare, social security, and medicaid, cut taxes, and balance the budget. There are huge majorities for opposed to cutting spending on social security medicare and medicaid (almost as popular as medicare) so they must include many conservatives. Note that in this poll 68% describe cutting Medicaid as unacceptable
<a href="http://www.pollingreport.com/budget3.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" >http://www.pollingreport.com/budget3.htm</a>
"In order to strike a budget deal that avoids the so-called fiscal cliff, would you accept cutting spending on Medicaid, which is the government health insurance program for the poor, or is this something you would find unacceptable?"
28% accept 68% unacceptable 3% don't know
Given the fraction of self described conservatives, many must consider Medicaid cuts unacceptable. For them, this isn't a case of confusion about whether they want to reverse the huge great society spending program.
The way in which many conservative voters can favor slashing spending and oppose cutting spending on any of the huge programs is that they (like many liberal and moderate voters) are clueless about the Federal budget. Also at polling report, 31% of respondents in a poll thought that foreign aid is over 20% of the federal budget (it is about 0.7%) and 39% thought that over 20% goes to
"The social safety net, including food stamps and unemployment payments to those who lost their jobs"
There is just no way to satisfy people who want to cut foreign aid by $300 billion a year.
I think the frustration for conservative policy makers is that they have to please voters who expect the impossible. They know what they want, but they don't know that arithmetic implies that they want the USA to be a huge net recipient of foreign aid.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524e091eecad044b228b4576btThu, 03 Oct 2013 20:17:34 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524e091eecad044b228b4576
This sort of comment is really a delusion. As if roads and schools and police and borders and air traffic controllers should all go away. The list goes on and on.
The poster pines for a Fantasy Society, as ridiculous and utopian as anything Lenin ever imagined, and one that takes no account of modern realities or the imperfect aspects of human nature. A place that will never exist in the USA, and that never has existed in the USA.
There are places that have less or no government - and they happen to be the biggest s**tholes on the planet. Somalia comes to mind.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524daff469bedd9c6302bf57NickThu, 03 Oct 2013 13:57:08 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524daff469bedd9c6302bf57
Ah I see....rather than answer what I said directly you point at other things about the republican party blah blah blah.
You never answered my question......what gives you the right to insist I pay for your health care? Why do you get to decide what's best for my money? Why is my income something you can figure into your budget? So you decide you want to provide the uninsured for healthcare and you get to force me to finance your ideals? Tell ya what I'll go pound sand if you go kill yourself first.
And your analogy to car insurance is a bad one. If I don't to buy car insurance I have the freedom not to drive. Driving is not a God given human right so if I want to drive I have to follow the rules. I do however have the right to LIVE. I can't choose not to exist and this law says if I choose to exist without health insurance I must pay a fee. Fuck that. I don't care about your health insurance. I don't care about your situation or your family and I don't expect you to care about mine yet you are FORCING me to pay for something that you benefit from at my expense. WHERE DO YOU GET THAT RIGHThttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524da09569bedd783f02bf68gdfleoThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:51:33 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524da09569bedd783f02bf68
Add a comment...Your freak liberal presidents forced us to pay into Medicare you dolt.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524da031ecad04ee57e26a39gdfleoThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:49:53 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524da031ecad04ee57e26a39
No we are angry because we have to share the planet with idiot liberals.......meaning all of them.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d9e77eab8eac44702bf58Suk Muk DikThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:42:31 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d9e77eab8eac44702bf58
are you really that dumb? President Romney? Oh wait, he lost airhead...http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d9dea6bb3f7b55ee26a30As close minded as close minded getsThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:40:10 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d9dea6bb3f7b55ee26a30
It amazes me that you're actually going to argue that the high unemployment rate in the euro zone is due to entitlements. Get a grip on reality buddy. The high unemployment, if you didn't get the news in the cave you reside in, is a direct result of the global economic collapse. Guess who created that collapse. You may blame Obama, but in reality it's a result of 30 years of deregulation and trickle down economics. The conservative economic theories are just plain wrong. That trickle down is just the rich pissing over the new slave class that is the middle class. When will you Neanderthals finally open your minds and realize that the world has changed and these 18th-19th economic theories and values you adhere to are what's holding society from moving forward?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d98eceab8ea153b02bf60trecerThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:18:52 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d98eceab8ea153b02bf60
The objections to this article are perfectly exemplifying the article's thesis: tea party conservatives have no idea what they want and are unable to even begin articulating it. It's truly amazing to read through the tea party detractor comments on this page. At core, these people are just refusing to accept the realities of modern life in a nation that no longer has a frontier where everyone fends for themselves. There is nowhere for them to escape to, so they just fester in their resentment and occasionally have hissy-fits that make life difficult for everyone else.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d981f6bb3f77351e26a45trecerThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:15:27 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d981f6bb3f77351e26a45
Democrats didn't have a supermajority in either house during those two years. They barely had a majority, and there were significant numbers of blue dog democrats in those days who regularly voted with the right. They were also dealing with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d96f3ecad04a64ae26a2ftrecerThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:10:27 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d96f3ecad04a64ae26a2f
Actually, a better example is home insurance. No one can opt out of paying obligatory home insurance. Even if you're a renter, you pay for it in your rent. It's no different from the obligation to have health insurance under Obamacare. Of course, you could choose to live outdoors... But you could also choose to move to one of the red states that refused to participate in the expansion of Medicaid, earn less than $14,000 and therefore not have to pay any Obamacare penalty. See? It's still a free country!http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d960feab8eacc3302bf68sharonsjThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:06:39 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d960feab8eacc3302bf68
Freedom of choice? Ha, ha, ha. That's rich, coming from the party of vaginal probes. As for being forced to pay for Obamacare, you're already being forced to pay for people who don't have insurance. And the benefit is those sick people won't pass on their diseases to you. But conservatives are complete--and ignorant--idealogues.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d949aecad04d543e26a36Dave LThu, 03 Oct 2013 12:00:26 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d949aecad04d543e26a36
Okay, fine. But what about Josh's point that conservatives in office never actually go after any of these programs you hate so much? Hmm...?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8d0b6bb3f7b73fe26a33PoohratThu, 03 Oct 2013 11:28:11 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8d0b6bb3f7b73fe26a33
Solyndra forgot that old news because it was a Democrat involvedhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8c996bb3f7b33fe26a2fPoohratThu, 03 Oct 2013 11:26:17 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8c996bb3f7b33fe26a2f
Fine, audit all of it. The whole fucking government by a THIRD party PWC, Deloite ect. now more CBO or any other government entity. Audit, Audit, Audit! Bring a little disinfecting sunshine to our government.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8a80eab8ea902002bf56Brian MThu, 03 Oct 2013 11:17:20 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8a80eab8ea902002bf56
I am glad that I can come to a website and have some kid that is 4 years out of college tell me how it is. Go get a real job and come back in 10 years and let me know what you think.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8828ecad04c62be26a31John_de_VashonThu, 03 Oct 2013 11:07:20 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d8828ecad04c62be26a31
These small-government Republcans are all for a small government, except when it gives them what they want, like life-time employment as professional politicians.
See: the Rand family, who fake have careers only for the tax write-off. All they really *know* how to do is suck off the public teat, just like the disabled Tea Party Don't-Tread-On-Me freaks who are on Medicare.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7daf6bb3f70223e26a34Paully PragmatismThu, 03 Oct 2013 10:22:39 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7daf6bb3f70223e26a34
To be clear how come conservatives are not doing everything I outlined above in their states when they have control of all three governing bodies?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d79cbeab8ea937302bf7d"Not ready for primetime"Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:06:03 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d79cbeab8ea937302bf7d
Damn dude don't you have anything to do today?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d78bfecad046d15e26a30"Not ready for primetime"Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:01:35 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d78bfecad046d15e26a30
Solyndra ..ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d77c1ecad041011e26a2fatroposThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:57:21 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d77c1ecad041011e26a2f
You better hurry to your radio doesn't Glen Beck come on pretty soon?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d774e6bb3f73e11e26a45breezyThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:55:26 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d774e6bb3f73e11e26a45
No cherrypicking now .. the farm bill, national defense spending, wall street banking, and aide to Isrealhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7582ecad04070ae26a39PoohratThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:47:46 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7582ecad04070ae26a39
You really have no clue what you are talking about. How much does the DNC pay you to comment on BI?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7405eab8eabd6902bf60PoohratThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:41:25 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7405eab8eabd6902bf60
Exactly, like Solyndra, 123 Battery, Fisker, Banks that are "Too Big to Fail", Hollywood tax breaks just to name a fewhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73ef69bedd895c02bf54Jeff77450Thu, 03 Oct 2013 09:41:03 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73ef69bedd895c02bf54
Well said and "high five."http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73cfeab8eac86902bf69atroposThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:40:31 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73cfeab8eac86902bf69
The epicenter of this current manufactured crisis is the tea party. The tea party is financed by and owes it's existence to a handful of take no prisoners mega rich republicans. The membership of the tea party is an aggregate of older, retired white people on social security and medicare and who receive a modest pension from the company that employed them for 30 years. Throw in some rabid evangelicals and gun nuts and stir to boiling. The one thing they all have in common is a lack of critical thinking and being within the Fox News viewing demographic. Their very life styles are dependant upon the New Deal programs they wail against. In other words they are being used as fools and idiots by the financiers of the Tea Party/republican politicians.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73406bb3f7a10ce26a34PoohratThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:38:08 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d73406bb3f7a10ce26a34
It really amazes me that the party of "tolerance" are the one creating and perpetuating stereotypes, name calling and and bullying. This is the exact behavior they claim to be against but use it for their own gain, such as the two commentators above me. When A Republican was president:
Wars were bad now unilateral action against another country is good
Federal debt and spending were bad now they are necessary
The Patriot act was bad now the NSA has to use all of our metadata to keep us safe
This is just the start of the hypocrisy that is the left.
As a conservative I can tell you that we are not against the economic safety net but we are against the entitlement culture. We are for small limited government and we are for a strong military. Simple and basic principles. So how I would go about achieving the entitlement conundrum as you presented. What if we could keep entitlements at their current rate and even grow but we can lower the operating cost? Would liberals agree to this?
Because what we could do is as the president says run the country like Apple or Google, let's streamline and automate the process and fire every federal employee that is associated with the program. The we outsource to US companies with US workers to run the program. Do this down the line for every service applicable including taking the National Parks and turning them into non-profit trusts. Conservatives know exactly what we want to do, we want to cut the size and scope of Government we want the government to have say in our lives. During the PARTIAL gov't shutdown only 800,000 out of 3M people are furloughed. That is roughly 27% and the country is still operating. As a matter of fact the administration is having to out of their way to make people feel the pain but it is not working. Of the 2.2M people still working during the PARTIAL gov't shutdown we can probably get rid of another 25% and still function normally.
Finally, if the Republicans are the economic terrorist what exactly does that make the Democrats who are receiving funding bills to keep parts of the government open but are not voting on them because they do not include funding for ObamaCare?http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d72fcecad04e609e26a2d"Not ready for primetime"Thu, 03 Oct 2013 09:37:00 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d72fcecad04e609e26a2d
You are so right... it's time to stop corporate subsidies nowhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d72c5eab8eac86902bf5eMemThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:36:05 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d72c5eab8eac86902bf5e
You present a great idea for another economic map. BI loves presenting maps.
The map could show distribution of entitlements.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d728169bedde85102bf68JaydeeThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:34:57 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d728169bedde85102bf68
Youre wrong. The CBO's latest estimate is that Obamacare increases spending $650 billion over what would have happened had the law not been passed.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d727b69bedd0e5702bf66exasperatedThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:34:51 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d727b69bedd0e5702bf66
Obama will negotiate with madmen in Iran over a nuclear bomb and with madmen in Syria over chemical weapons, but he won’t negotiate with Republicans in Congress over healthcare. So who’s the crazy one here?
No matter. Obama will not defund Obamacare. He will not even allow reasonable changes. It’s his law and he’s in charge. We are fighting a no-win battle over both Obamacare and the government shutdown — especially because the media protects him at all costs. The message the media puts out is that: “Obama is for the little guy. The GOP is evil and greedy.” Unfortunately, we are playing right into Obama’s hands with both a defunding of Obamacare and a Federal government shutdown.
Great generals change tactics constantly to win battles and wars. They recognize it is all a chess game and that as circumstances change and evolve, tactics must change and evolve. Now, it’s time for the Republican Congress to change tactics.
How can the GOP message be changed to win the battle instantly? By changing our demand. Here’s a way to turn this into a win-win for the GOP. Republicans will, in fact, end the government shutdown, pass the budget and fund Obamacare if this one single simple demand is met: Remove all exemptions, exceptions and waivers to Obamacare.
It’s that simple. The message is: If Obamacare is so good for the people, then let everyone have it right now, this instant — the poor, the rich, the big unions, the big corporations, the politically connected, the lawyers, the lobbyists and, of course, Congress, too. Everyone means everyone.
“Everyone” must specifically include Senators, Congressmen, their staffs, Obama himself, Michelle, Sasha and Malia. It’s everyone in the rowboat, or no one. That’s the only GOP demand. Forget defunding; it’s not going to happen. Fund it, but only if Obama agrees to end all exemptions, exceptions, and waivers today.
How’s that for a simple, clear and concise, easy-to-understand message, a message that puts the GOP clearly on the side of equality and fairness for all? This is a message a majority of Americans will support. This is a message that puts Obama on the defensive and paints him into a dangerous no-win corner.
That’s how you win the war with Obama and kill Obamacare. That’s how you win the public relations battle. That’s how you leave the media speechless. That’s how you outmaneuver Obama.
Think of Obama’s only two options at that point. He can either tell the American people that government will stay shut “because I refuse to force corporations, unions and Congress to live by the same rules as the rest of you,” or he can immediately reopen the government and fund Obamacare but cause a war inside the Democratic Party by abandoning his big corporate donors and unions. He loses big either way.
If this were wrestling or MMA fighting, the GOP just flipped Obama on his back. How can he say “no” to the GOP demand? Is Obama only for the rich, big corporations and politically connected? What is he protecting the rich and privileged from? If Obamacare is so great, why did he delay it for big corporations? What about the rest of us? Are we human guinea pigs?
More importantly, how can Obama look into the camera and say that Congress and the President should have the right to different healthcare than the citizens? Talk about an unwinnable position. Make him explain why he will keep the government closed so that Congress can have a different healthcare plan than the rest of us peasants.
Obama has broken the law and violated the Constitution with these special exemptions and waivers. Hold his feet to the fire. The GOP isn’t against poor people getting healthcare. We certainly hate Obamacare. We know it’s a disaster for healthcare, jobs and the economy. But if it’s the law of the land (for now), then we demand equality for everyone.
If Obama wants the law, let’s all have the law: everyone. Michelle, Sasha and Malia can wait in the same long lines as the rest of us. So can Congress and their staffs. So can big corporations like GE, Wal-Mart and Exxon. So can every union member. So can every government employee. If the rest of us can’t have “Cadillac health insurance plans” without paying big fines or taxes, then unions and government employees can’t either.
It’s one for all and all for one. Let’s see Obama oppose that argument. Let’s see him defend waivers and exemptions for some, while the rest of us get screwed. Let’s see Obama defend keeping the government closed in order to retain the one-year waiver for big business, while forcing small business and the middle class to suffer immediately.
Obama is between a rock and a hard place. He must agree that everyone gets it today, ready or not, with no exceptions. Or no one gets it.
Suddenly, the GOP has turned the tables. We have exposed Obama as the fraud he is. With this one change in tactics, the GOP represents “equality and fairness for all.” Let Obama defend inequality, unfairness and special favors for the rich and connected. Checkmate.
Obamacare is a disaster. The exchanges aren’t ready. Mass confusion reigns. The people have no idea how bad this is going to get. But it’s clear the unions, big corporations and Congress understand. That’s why they desperately want out. From this day forward, we let no one out. We are all in this together.
Make Obama own it. Make him tie his friends and donors into it right now — with no wiggle room. Then, watch the fun begin. Watch the unions and big corporations demand the repeal of Obamacare. Watch mass protests in the streets by union members. Watch the Democratic Party devolve into screaming and fighting matches among themselves. Watch D.C. implode as Congress, Congressional staffers and lobbyists refuse to accept Obamacare. Watch the rats desert the sinking ship.
But if Obama keeps the government closed to protect his biggest donors, the public will turn on him with a vengeance. By November of 2014, every single Democrat who ever voted for this disaster will be thrown out on his or her ass.
Oh, and one big bonus. I can’t wait to see Michelle Obama’s face when she hears she must live under the same law as the rest of us. I’d pay for tickets to watch that one.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7266eab8ea826702bf6bquantThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:34:30 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7266eab8ea826702bf6b
What is this, a propaganda piece? Certainly not journalism. Impartiality? While you're working on a functioning web site Henry, could you hire a conservative writer to give an impression of balance.
How do you really feel Josh? Must have been the Harvard "training."http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7000ecad04ad7de26a30paulitusThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:24:16 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d7000ecad04ad7de26a30
Good job, Nick. That about sums t up!http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6f74eab8ea116502bf55ATThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:21:56 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6f74eab8ea116502bf55
A segment of the GOP is obsessed with wanting Obama to fail. At any cost. They never accepted his election and refuse to respect the democratic process. The rest of the GOP is foolishly standing by watching their party being hijacked and slowly but surely wrecked. Look at how they lost 2012.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6ec269bedde95102bf5bcigarettemachinegunThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:18:58 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6ec269bedde95102bf5b
Responsibility and self accountability. If you believe in those virtues, you'll never get elected in the United States of America. Every time misfortune hits, we are trained to yell, "Where's my Government? This is BS!" So you get used to it and you let the Government and obsequious Obama be your guardian until you are so weak and dependent that you have to keep voting for handouts. You forget your power. Yeah the system seem rigged sometimes and it's so damn discouraging sometimes. But you try anyway to make the life you need for you and your family. Chris Rock says, "Obama is like our father; you listen to your father." YIKES, really? So you leave it to politicians to tell you what kind of life you can have. Why give them that power? You can think for yourself, can't you? You can take action to improve your plight! Don't wait for it like a city bus running late. Use your brain that you and you alone own outright, given to you by God or evolutionary providence, not Gov't issued.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6dddecad043c79e26a41c smithThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:15:09 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6dddecad043c79e26a41
We know exactly what we want. We want government to stop invading more and more areas of our lives, and turning the American people into sniveling, subsidy-dependent zombies in the process.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6d5e69bedd7f4a02bf5aNickThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:13:02 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6d5e69bedd7f4a02bf5a
Lol Josh think's he's some sort of conservative mind reader. Always publishing stories explaining why we conservatives are upset or why we do what we do. He's always wrong of course. Afterall he's not a conservative so what the fuck does he know? I fortunately AM a conservative so allow me to demystify this for you Josh.
We conservatives are upset that the political left seems to believe they have an unlimited dominion on our income. We are upset that they don't seem to believe in the freedom of choice. They get it in their head that they wanna help people people with health costs. Fine...nothing wrong with that. Where they cross the line is their means of doing that involve FORCING me to pay for something I neither care about nor benefit from. My money is mine, I earned it, what gives them the right to say "hi, we have decided that it's better for everyone that your money be taken away from you and spent on this idea we just had".
It's a free country, I have the freedom to not care about someone else's problems, just like they have the freedom to not care about mine. I don't support Obamacare yet I am being forced to pay for it.
If the democrats care so much and it's so popular....why not make it voluntary? Why don't they all voluntarily pay extra? I'll tell you why...because they only care about others when they are using someone else's money.
The same people who scream "Don't force your beliefs on me!!" In the abortion and gay marriage debate (for the record I am pro choice and support gay marriage)......fight to force their beliefs about health care on me.
THAT'S why we're mad.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6c296bb3f78679e26a3b"Not ready for primetime"Thu, 03 Oct 2013 09:07:53 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6c296bb3f78679e26a3b
If you are as angry as I am over these aholes, they WILL be just a statistic in 2014http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6bfaecad043c79e26a36breezyThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:07:06 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6bfaecad043c79e26a36
Actually Obamacare starts to reel in runaway health care spending rather than letting continue to run rampant. Just look at the declines in health care increases since it has passed and before it's even fully powered up. And the same pathetic haters that constantly use the term "Obamacare" as a knee jerk slam on all government are still quite pleased when their own college age sons and daughters can stay on Dad's insurance or cover his little grandchildren .. and yet wake EVERY DAMN DAY with "evil Obamacare" on their minds, thanks to their thought controller Faux News. We're all just very tired of you.
Yes the world is full of problems .. you can start by shedding a tear or two for the over 100,000 dead Iraqis, then reflect on the trillions spent on that effort. Then you can move on to the "head in the sand" stands on evolution and global warming .. "If I close my eyes it isn't there". Then you can reflect on the true state of taxes on the rich and how it shapes our economy. You may even eventually get down to the point where you actually look at all the homeless you pass on your way to the mall.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6b1b6bb3f77279e26a3bLincolncratThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:03:23 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6b1b6bb3f77279e26a3b
I think they know what they want but what they want explodes when confronted with reality. In theory, and in their grandest of plans, the entire government should be shrunk to pre Civil War levels. Unfortunately, this is 2013, not 1813 and the world we live in requires more government infrastructure -- including the dreaded entitlement programs for those left behind in a complex, hyper connected world. America's government has not grown to this size through leftist statist plots but a series of pragmatic shifts to cope with a changing world.
As soon as they have a chance to turn the clock back 200 years this reality foils their plans. They can't blame reality, though, so the blame falls on illegitimate, cheating opposition and soft, non believing RINOs. The tactics, never the cause, are at fault. The cycle repeats itself, with every defeat bringing more frustration and blind allegiance to the cause until they are threatening force the very country they purport to love to defualt for no reason anyone can clearly articulate.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6afa69bedd2c4502bf5dmilton friedmanThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:02:50 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6afa69bedd2c4502bf5d
Another attempt at throwing anything at the wall against conservatives in hopes of it sticking. You are clueless. Conservatives continue to repeat over and over again the same things they believe and want since Reagan. You liberal journalists, who have no educational background in government affairs continue to write stories your liberal editors stress you must write. Obama and liberalism has become irrelevant. You all continue to sound like the pampered middle school toddlers like the spoiled baby boom generation.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6a9669bedd424502bf5cJungle JimThu, 03 Oct 2013 09:01:10 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6a9669bedd424502bf5c
The real problem is that there are several flavors of conservative today (fiscal, social, neo, etc.) and they don't agree on their objectives. Even worse, they know that the public at large doesn't agree with those objectives. For example, if the government must be cut, one of the places to start would be our quixotic attempts to civilize the rest of the world through military force. Oh, but wait, that would mean cuts in defense spending, can't do that. Or how about this, limit the benefits a state can receive from the Federal Government to the amount they pay in taxes to the Federal Government. Oops, can't do that, many of the red states would be crippled if they had to pay their own way. So, what can they do ? Not much without having it backfire disastrously on their own home districts. That frustrates them into childish displays and attention getting behavior. The problem is that their petulance is likely to do real harm if it goes on for long.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6a15ecad04a972e26a30SNFThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:59:01 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6a15ecad04a972e26a30
Obamacare raised taxes on the rich, so I don't know what you mean.
There's also the fiscal cliff deal that raised taxes.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d69646bb3f76377e26a36SNFThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:56:04 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d69646bb3f76377e26a36
I think Medicare and Social Security are the real clues to what's going on.
Conservatives have an anti-government ideology (when it comes to economic issues), but they personally benefit from it so much that it causes cognitive dissonance. This is why Republicans ran against Obamacare's cuts to Medicare, and why that one Republican slammed Obama's Social Security cut proposal.
In their heads, they want a government with a smaller role in the economy, but their own voters are the ones who get the most support from the government. It's not young liberal college kids who get the big entitlement programs.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6810ecad044d6ce26a3bVeritasThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:50:24 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6810ecad044d6ce26a3b
Exactly and Democrats controlled both houses and the White House for at least 2 years at the start of President Obama's presidency and made no move to raise taxes on the "rich" and then cried later that the Republicans were to blame. It's very telling when you compare both party's deeds versus words.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d67a46bb3f77979e26a2dbreezyThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:48:36 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d67a46bb3f77979e26a2d
Actually they just hate. Certainly you all know this type of person .. knee jerk haters with only one thing on their minds .. "where's mine, it's about me". Every thought in their head begins with "me". Every thought in their head ends with "fuck everyone I don't know".http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d670a6bb3f72e75e26a2dBCTThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:46:02 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d670a6bb3f72e75e26a2d
When math meets reality, math wins.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66d9ecad04106ee26a36JaydeeThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:45:13 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66d9ecad04106ee26a36
Four years (2003-2007). Never had a super majority like Barry.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66cdecad04da67e26a41BCTThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:45:01 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66cdecad04da67e26a41
Is government the problem or the solution? It's a continuum; libertarian to 'progressive'. Its certainly not about Democrats and Republicans and it is a fundamental, ongoing and very necessary conversation. People know what they want. It's just not always feasible but the debate will never, and should never end.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6681ecad04e167e26a3cRabbeThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:43:45 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d6681ecad04e167e26a3c
Newsflash...people don't like to give up free stuff even if it's a overall negative
Henry and this Josh guy aren't really into thinking very deeply....it's just republicans bad...democrats goodhttp://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66606bb3f7be70e26a32JaydeeThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:43:12 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d66606bb3f7be70e26a32
Joshie, how about you focus on the problem at hand - the $211 trillion unfunded entitlement run away train. The math doesnt lie. Conservatives are on the winning side of that argument. Your ire should be placed on why liberals ignore reality and pass stupid pet projects like Obamacare.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d658569bedd5f3d02bf58NickThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:39:33 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d658569bedd5f3d02bf58
When elected politicians don't know what they want, then this means that the electorate doesn't know what it wants either. Because elected politicians represent the people who have elected them.
It's a sign that the country is in trouble. Because the voters are so lost and divided that the government they elect is also lost and divided.
It's just different factions of people each pulling in their own direction without any common vision or goal. And this is partly due to the increasing inequality in USA. Because when the rich and the poor live very different lives, then they have very different concerns and interests. They have so little in common that it's very difficult for them to have a common vision and a goal they can all strive towards. Economic division leads to political division too.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d657769bedd023b02bf5cSkyRoll guyThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:39:19 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d657769bedd023b02bf5c
Spot on! The republicans have zero interest in making hard choices or real cuts that need to be made. Their deity, Regan, couldn't do it. George W had control of both houses of Congress for, I believe, 6 years, and not only cut nothing but enlarged medicare and farm subsidies. The tea party talks tough but won't cut defense or any entitlements. They are all frauds and hypocrites who just want to get elected over and over. For what purpose? I have no idea. Our country is screwed.http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d62916bb3f7b670e26a2dDoug in VirginiaThu, 03 Oct 2013 08:26:57 -0400http://www.businessinsider.com/c/524d62916bb3f7b670e26a2d
Where's my sarcasm font?
You discovered that it's politically difficult to roll back entitlement programs.
There's not much mention as to whether those programs benefit the country overall, or how the European economies are doing after a longer experiment with even higher levels of entitlements. 12% unemployment isn't so great.
But, sure, let's poke sticks at people who at least realize there's an issue. It's that much more productive than helping them make the case, right?